Beer Run

This is an incredible route -- you may recognize it from the cover shot on the first Rifle guidebook by Hassan Saab. It is a long, airy pitch on the beautiful white and blue streaked wall left of the Ruckman Cave.

Beer Run is the rightmost of a quartet of long, "slabby" routes on the towering wall left of Ruckman and can be recognized by an often-fixed long draw at the lower crux. It climbs just left of a huge round bowl at mid-height on the cliff-band and tackles a series of well-chalked laybacks.

Pass an initial bolt or two to reach a ledge (5.10) then step onto the wall and begin laybacking. The laybacks soon become thinner and you're forced to crimp a bit before a pumpy crux deposits you at an awesome resting hole. Surge up and right from the hole onto the expansive headwall and save some juice for the 5.9+ run-out to the anchors.

This brilliant line is a testimony to the power of beer and to one man's courageous journey down to the distant village of Rifle to procure a six-pack prior to the first ascent.

14 quickdraws and a 60 meter rope (mandatory).

Per

Michael Schneiter

, the 6th bolt has been replaced.